Sunday, May 20, 2007

Adding the Glass to the Window

All that grey! How dreary this project must seem to some (grey is my favorite neutral color and has been for years. The first coat I ever bought myself was grey and my stash has lots of grey yarn, and I've knit lots of grey hats.. (even baby hats!) out of grey.)Well on to the project.The hand work begins. From this point on, all sewing is hand sewing.

Step 5 Finishing the Squares.Start by finishing the squares. Depending on the care you took when you pressed the seams, and how skillful you were in turning the squares right side out, and repressing, the un-sewn sections of the seams in the center of the square will be neat or not so neat. Now is the time to use the point of the needle line them up, and whip stitch them shut. A nice neat closed seam is what is wanted.Don't break the thread when you've finished, but use the same thread to join all four points together, and to sew them to the center X of the seams.

There are some design choices here:2 or 3 strands of embroider floss can be used as thread, and make the stitches obvious and decorative or fine sewing thread and almost invisible stitches can be used.

The connecting stitches can go through all the layers, (and be visible on the back side of the work), or the reverse side of the top can be plain.

You can use French Knots to hold down the point, or cross stitches, or any stitch you want. They must be small and and the very tip of the corner point, (or they will be hidden in the next step) or not.The stitches can be visible and decorative, or invisible. I think fancy stitch work is a distraction, and like to keep my hand stitch work small and unobtrusive.

Step 6 Adding the “Panes of Glass”If the finished product is a coverlet or other large project, it is easier to start adding 'panes of glass' before all the squares have been joined together. One process is to start at center and work your way out making up a design as you go, but with a well thought out and planned project could start at a corner and proceed adding rows and columns. Either way, it is much easier to sew the 'panes of glass at the edge, rather than to have the full weight of the project in your lap (and in your way!)

Again it's a design choice-- With a good deal depending on the desired finished effect. The panes of glass can be formed into orderly designs, or just be randomly placed colors or somewhere inbetween!

Needless to say, a planned design, requires planning! With just 16 squares to work with, I will have a 24 full panes and several partial ones, I can easily plan as I go! I know the colors I want to use, and a pillow is too small do make much of a design anyway.

The Panes of glass are small squares (each about 2 to 2 ¼ inches) that are pinned, then hand sewn in place, invisibly,(or nearly invisible!)Each pane of glass covers a seam, and the borders are made for 2 different squares.As each is sewn in, the bias edged of the squares gently folded and stretched to make a frame around the pane of glass. Here are the first 4 sewn in.Here more have been added, (and the pane on the lower edge only has one side of 4 sewn in place)

In the last image, you can begin to see the double design that emerges. Each pane off glass will be framed in an interlocking circular frame of material. This is most evident on the center yellow panes.

And so, slowly, the the cathedral window becomes evident. I like marblized and small subtle prints, but figures, or animals or flowers would work wonderfully too. As would a mix of different types of plain or printed fabric.From here, for a while, there is nothing but hand sewing in the colored fabric that represents the panes of glass.

Tomorrow, More progress on adding Panes of Glass (and maybe even another post on sewing in the panes of glass!)